True Weight-Loss Stories

Take-it-off and keep-it-off tips from women who've done it

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By Jennifer Haupt, with additional reporting by Abigail L. Cuffey

Aug 29, 2009

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Deep down we all know the secret to losing weight: Eat less and move more. These four women prove that following that simple rule works, if you have the right strategy. Each of them came up with a unique plan that fit her lifestyle and, slowly but surely, they lost the weight–for good.

The Payoff: Shauna lost 100 pounds and Kristin lost 105 (and counting!)

The workplace can be a dieter's downfall. Just ask Kristin Creighton, 43, and Shauna Carleton, 37, of Boston, friends and coworkers since 1992. "We used to be a horrible influence on each other's eating," admits Shauna. "I'd encourage Kristin to have a doughnut so I'd feel less guilty about having one too."

Despite the slip-ups, these best friends have had weight-loss success in the past. In 1998, with Shauna's upcoming wedding in 18 months as inspiration, Kristin shed a whopping 100 pounds and the bride-to-be dropped 35. When the big day came and went, though, so did their motivation. "We just put blinders on and ignored the scale," says Kristin. Not surprisingly, they both regained the weight they'd lost and then some.

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By 2005, Shauna had had enough. She told Kristin that they needed to really support each other if they wanted to shape up for good. So instead of eating dinner out, they began going to Weight Watchers meetings. Instead of hitting McDonald's for a calorie-laden lunch, they took three-mile walks. Instead of grabbing a doughnut for a snack, they helped one another avoid sweets.

And it worked—three years later, they had each lost more than 100 pounds. But then the economy threw a wrench into their momentum: The financial company for which they both worked closed last June. Kristin is currently unemployed and Shauna now works from home. "It would have been easy to give up and go back to terrible eating habits after I got laid off," says Kristin. "But we'd come so far, we just had to figure out ways to make it work." The two still attend Weight Watchers meetings together and encourage each other constantly. Their goal now: to each lose another 50 pounds by the end of the year.

2. Don't lose your footing over slip-ups. "If you give in to a craving and overdo it, chalk it up to lessons learned and try not to make the same mistake again."

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Valerie

The Strategy: Going high-tech

The Payoff: Lost 55 pounds

For Valerie Harrington, 48, mealtime had become a vicious cycle of guilt and loathing. "I'd yo-yo dieted since my teens, and when I hit 35 it became much harder to lose weight," says Valerie, who manages her husband's law practice in Great Bend, Kansas. "In my early 40s, I gave up dieting altogether because nothing seemed to work."

Three years ago, Valerie reached an all-time high of 185 pounds. "My energy was so low that I no longer enjoyed the things I loved—skiing, hiking, rafting," she recalls. "Even everyday things like climbing into my car were getting difficult. So I decided to give losing weight one more try."

But after struggling to budge the scale for six months with minimal results, Valerie realized that she needed support. It wasn't easy to find in her rural town, so she turned to a virtual community: eDiets.com. There she discovered 26 different food plans, each with a nutritionist available for e-mail consultations, a dozen chat rooms, a weekly menu and grocery planning tool, recipes and much more.

Round-the-clock access to such great support was the key to Valerie's success: She lost 55 pounds in six months. "I could go online anytime instead of waiting for a weekly meeting," she says. "And I loved the immediacy. If I e-mailed a nutritionist, I'd usually get a response within 24 hours. If I hit a plateau and needed advice, I went to the women-over-40 chat room or one of the low-carb forums for new recipes and tips."

Valerie has kept the weight off for more than two years now, and she's so confident it won't be coming back that she gave away thousands of dollars' worth of "fat clothes."

1. f one program doesn't fit, try another. "It takes trial and error to find what works best for you."

2. Make exercise easy. Valerie didn't spend tons of money on a gym; everything she needed was in her house or right outside her door. Her no-hassle workout: walking and strength training with free weights and DVDs (her current fave is The Firm).

Diane

The Strategy: One-on-one coaching

The Payoff: Lost 65 pounds

Diane Loffredo, 52, never saw herself as obese. But a physical in 2005 proved otherwise. "I weighed 230 pounds and my blood pressure and cholesterol were at unhealthy levels," says Diane, a college admissions director in Miami. "So I promised myself the gift of good health for my 50th birthday."

Diane had tried dieting before, but always had trouble sticking to a program where success was measured solely by the scale. She needed an individualized plan. Fortunately, the hospital where she worked at the time offered the perfect one. She was assigned a health coach for goal setting and weekly phone consultations. (Locate a nutritionist in your area at EatRight.org) Diane didn't count calories; she just focused on changing her habits: eating more veggies, nixing diet soda, fitting in exercise.

"If I complained to my coach that I hadn't lost any weight, she'd redirect me by asking where I had made progress," says Diane. Within a year she'd shed 65 pounds, reduced her cholesterol 40 points and lowered her blood pressure. And she's maintained her new weight ever since.

Diane's Tips:

1. Think small. "Trying to change everything at once is a recipe for disaster. Change things a little at a time to create permanent new habits."

2. Work up to workouts. No one starts out walking five miles. Take it slow. "It doesn't matter how far you walk at first; just stick with it."

Top Tips From More Big Losers

Tiffany Way, 48, Kingsland, GA: Lost 80 pounds

1. Kick the junk food habit. "I like to eat while watching TV. Now, instead of bingeing on junk, I'll peel a grapefruit because it takes time."

1. Speak first to stay on track. "When I eat out with friends, I always order first so I'm not influenced by their choices."

2. Stop all-or-nothing thinking. "You don't have to give up the foods you love. When I crave fried clams, I work them into my diet without going overboard. Otherwise, I'll end up consuming just as many calories with other, less satisfying stuff."

Patty Brown, 47, Hollister, CA: Lost 71 pounds

1. Eat between meals. "Waiting too long to eat is a recipe for eating too much. I definitely make better choices when I'm not starving!"

2. Take it step by step. "I use a pedometer when I walk so I can see how I'm doing at a glance. Now, I get in at least 10,000 steps every day."